Kerala businessman Rajmohan Pillai held for rape of housemaid

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city police have arrested prominent cashew exporter Rajmohan Pillai, 53, on charges of raping and impregnating his housemaid hailing from Odisha. Pillai is a businessman who focusses on manufacture, marketing and distribution of packaged processed food.
According to police, the crime took place at his residence at Kowdiar. The incident came to light when he allegedly sent the 23-year-old woman to a prominent private hospital that specializes in infertility treatment on Saturday for an abortion. The doctor who attended her case grew suspicious and sought the help of his colleague who hailed from Odisha to converse with her and learned that she was unmarried. Following this, they reported the matter to police.
The woman told police that she was working as a housemaid at Pillai’s residence for the past few months and it was Pillai who sexually abused and impregnated her. Following this, the cops subjected her to a medical examination as part of procedure and confirmed the rape and pregnancy.
Pillai was taken into custody on Monday. His arrest was recorded after several rounds of interrogation. He was produced before the court on Monday evening and was remanded in judicial custody.
“Pillai has denied the rape allegations, but, the evidence revealed so far in the probe have been against him. It is understood that the person who accompanied the young woman to the hospital was a friend of Pillai,” said Museum circle inspector J Dinil.
The CI also said that the police would file a custody application before the court soon to conduct the further interrogation of Pillai. The woman, meanwhile, has been shifted to a shelter home in the city.
Rajmohan Pillai is the younger brother of businessman Rajan Pillai, nicknamed ‘Biscuit Baron’, who had died in Tihar jail while under police custody in 1995.
Rajmohan Pillai was one of four men convicted of fraud over a letter of credit in 2008. He was sentenced to two years of imprisonment and fined Rs 2,00,000. The sentences against him were suspended following an appeal in a higher court.